COMMUNITY FORUM

wall paper over wall paper or paint over wall paper

we just purchased an older home 1971--it only had two layers of wall paper in several rooms. I started removing wall paper from the brkfast room..and I used dif in warm water and putty knife..it took hours and came off slowly..and took wallboard off as well...so there are big tears in the wall board..you know the brown paper bag color looking stuff...anyway..it took so long just to do a little area..that ..it hurt my shoulder on my right arm ..I had to get shots to kill the pain and heal it..anyway..I will finish that..however..I think I will rent the steamer at home depot to finish that job..the rest of the house..well, lets say, I will either paint over it or wall paper over it with new wall paper...the wall paper that is on these walls are on soooooo tight that it won't come off...I would appreciate help on either painting over wall paper or re wall papering..which ever advice is helpful..on how to or best ways to do ..and preps..thanks

If the paper is really tight on the walls and they did not size the walls before they papered them way back when (that is why you are pulling off brown paper from the drywall) you can paint over it or paper over it. If it is a paper back wallpaper you should prime it with oil based primer such as Zinsser Cover Stain, which will keep the inks from bleeding thru and lock it down to the wall and keep the water in the latex paint from gettin to the paper. If you want to paper prime the same way and then size over the primer.